Winning is Good!

The Clearwater Threshers looked to battle back against the Palm Beach Cardinals on Wednesday night after dropping the first two games of the series by one run each. The Phillies #1 draft pick in the 2007 draft Joe Savery would take the hill in the game, and the team sorely needed a win and some momentum going into the all-star break with the first half of the season rapidly coming to a close.

After Joe Savery held the Cardinals scoreless through two innings the Threshers would fall behind in the game with the Cardinals picking up runs in the third and forth innings to make it 2-0 Cardinals while the Threshers offense was held to just two hits over the first four frames. In the fifth the Threshers would go down after a lead-off walk from John Urick, and in the bottomof the inning Joe Savery’s night would end after getting two outs, but a two singles and a HBP would leave bases loaded for reliever Dan Brauer as he entered the game. Unfortunately Brauer would give up a walk to the first batter he faced allowing the Cardinals to get a third run credited to Joe Savery and extend their lead to 3-0 after five innings of play.

The Threshers would not go quietly however as they battled back into the game in the seventh against the Cardianls third pitcher of the game Brandon Garner. Matthew Spencer singled to start the inning, and then John Urick doubled for his first hit of the game to score Spencer from first. P. J. Antoniato then walked and Tuffy Gosewisch layed down a sacrifice bunt, to move the runners to second and third. Fidel Hernandez then reached on throwing error allowing both Antoniato and Urick to score and tie the game as he moved to second base. After Quintin Berry grounded out sending Fidel to third both Jay Miller and Adrian Cardenas would walk to load the bases for the Threshers to force a pitching change by the Cardinals.

Gus Milner would single to get the go ahead run putting the Threshers up 4-3 to send Fidel Hernandez across home plate, and then Matt Spencer would pick up a walk to drive in another to make it 5-3 Threshers with Jay Miller scoring. Johnny U then picked up his second double of the inning to drive in three more runs as Cardenas, Milner and Spencer all scored. PJ Antoniato would add an RBI single to score Urick before the inning finally ended with the Threshers suddenly on top 9-3.

Matt German took the mound in the seventh to send the Cardinals down in order, and the Cardinals set the Threshers down in the eighth bringing Bear Hill to the mound for the Clearwater squad. Bear would cruise through the inning 1-2-3 taking it to the ninth inning. The Threshers would go donw 1-2-3 in the ninth, but the pressure was solidly on the Cardainals who trailed 9-3 going into their final at bat.

The most the Cardinals could do was garner one walk in their final frame against Bear Hill, and the Threshers earned a terrific come-from-behind win to grab a win and gather a bit of momentum with just one game remaining before the all-star break.

The SCHMIDT LIST award went to Johnny U! for his 4-RBI night. He reached base four times and scored twice as well.